Stepladder



R 4 5 m5 V/ g m5 F 1 M F 9 m m w ATTORN Y J. MEIER STEPLADDER July 16,1940.

Filed Aug. 20, 1938 Patented July 16, 1940 UNITED STATES STEPLADDER.John Meier, Wauwatosa, Wis. Application August 20, 1938, Serial No.225,875

2 Claims.

This invention relates to stepladders.

In stepladders as heretofore constructed it has been the practice in oneform to provide jointed hinge members between the front and rear legs ofthe stepladder to lock them in spaced relation when the stepladder isopened, but these devices do not provide for adjustment. Operatorsfrequently dispense with this type of device and use a rope which theytie between the front and rear legs so that they can adjust the amountthe legs are opened out. It often happens that a workman is forced touse the stepladder in very restricted spaces and it becomes imperativeto provide some means of adjustment. This, as stated, is sometimesaccomplished by means of a rope which is tied to the front and backlegs, but the use of a rope is quite dangerous as it frequently breaks,particularly when the. stepladder is used on a polished floor, forinstance, and causes the workman'to fall.

This invention is designed to overcome the above noted defects, andobjects of this invention are to provide a novel form of stepladder andspacing means therefor which is so made that it allows for adjustment tovary the amount the stepladder is opened up and. at the same time locksthe stepladder against closing oropening so that no matter if it is usedon a highly polished slick floor, the legs will not slip, as they arefirmly locked against motion either towards or from each other.

Further objects are to provide a construction in which the hinge membersare made so that they interlock and prevent relative elongation, theinterlocking being obtained in an automatic manner without requiring anyadditional operation and the construction of the members being such thatthe bracing or spacing members not only are interlocked against relativeelongation or shortening, but also they are locked in such a manner asto prevent side swaying or lateral motion of the bracing member, thusproviding the utmost rigidity, the interlocking being secured at spacedpoints one of which is the hinge joint between the members and the otherof which is a notched interlocking tongue which not only enters the slotin the other member but also overhangs the other member and thus bracesthe spacing member against lateral deflection.

Further objects are to provide a construction of stepladder which is somade that it may be folded up and when so folded, inherently provides ahousing for the upper portion of the jointed, now folded, spacingmembers so that there is no chance of these members dropping outwardlywhich is shown most clearly inFigures 3 and 4.

and interfering with the free handling of the closed stepladder.

Further objects are to provide a construction which is very cheap tomake, which may be applied to existing typesof stepladders with the 5utmost ease, and which does notjinte'rfere with the free use'of thestepladder.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Figure'l is a vertical sectional viewthrough a I stepladder showing theladder opened out and showing parts in section. Q

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showlng the ladder in closedposition. g

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 Ba sectionalview on the line 44 of Figure 1 drawn to anenlarged scale.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seenthat the front legs of thestepladder are indicated by ii) the reference character I and therearlegs by the reference characterZ. The front legs: carry the treadsor steps 3 in the usual manner and the rear legs are joined bydiagonally positioned bracing members 4 and 4'. The rear legs aremounted on the outer side of the front legs, as indicated. 7

The adjustable spacing member comprises a front member or arm 5 which ishinged to a plate 6 secured to the underside of one of the treads 3. Thearm or bar 5 is provided with an elongated slot 1 that terminates shortof its ends and it is preferable to form this member out of flat stock.The arm 5 is bent laterally adjacent the hinge portion to provide ahorizontal part 8 which is hinged to the plate 6. i

The bar 5 of the spacing memberis provided with an outwardly turned,right angle portion 9 This right angle lip orlock ingme mber is slotted40 upwardly from the bottom to provide a depending finger in which isspaced from thebar 5 to receive therebetween the other hinged member H.The member II is also formed from flat stock and is provided with aseries of notches It at regular intervals to receive the locking lip orportion 9 of the member 5. The member II is hinged, as indicated at l3,to a transverse strap l4 also preferably formed of flat stock. Themember [4 extends across the rear edges of the rear legs 2 and isprovided with forwardly turned portions l5 positioned outside of andsecured to the rear leg in any suitable manner. This member l4,therefore, prevents lateral spreading I t of the rear legs in additionto the diagonal membore 4.

The member II carries a pivot pin I5 which 'is slidably received withinthe slot I of the member 5.

In using the device, the stepladder is opened I up to the desired extentand the members 5 and II are rocked downwardly to a horizontal positionwith the locking tongue or lip e fitting in the appropriate notch l2 inthe member I I and with the tongue I0 located on one side of the memberII and the bar 5 on the other side thereof. This arrangement gives greatlateral stability to the spacing members and prevents their bucklinglaterally, as the members I I and 5 are locked together against lateralmotion at spaced points,

namely, atthe pivot pin it and at the finger or tongue I0. Additionally,thestepladder cannot either be opened or shut when locked in thisposition as it is locked againstboth motions. It is obvious also that itmay be opened up to any extent desired and thus allows the utmostfreedom for the user thereof. There is no danger of the-legs slippingwhen inuse .as the parts are rigidly locked together.

When the stepladder is folded up, the hinge joint between the members5'and I I is pushed upwardly and thereafter the legs are closed, the

rear legs 2 being positioned outside of the front legs I, as shown'indotted lines in. Figure 2. When in this position, the spacing member,formed by the members 5 and II, is positioned betweenthe treadto whichit is attached and the upper tread immediately thereabove. Also theupper transverse brace 4 is so positioned that it is located justbehin'd'the upper end of the members 5 and] I, as shown in Figure 2, andthus a housing for the spacing me'rnberis provided when such spacingmember is in folded or closed position. The upper transverse brace 4contacts the upper end of the folded spacing member and prevents itsrocking to the rear; It cannot-rock forwardly because, as will be seenfrom Figure 2, the front arm 5' contacts with the rear edged the treadto which it is hinged. The ladder,

' therefore, may be handled while closed with the stronger.

It will be seen that a' novel form of stepl'adder and spacingmeanstherefore has been provided which may be very cheaply manufactured,which is very easy to handle, as has been found from actual use thereof,and which is very strong.

While a single spacing. member has been shown and while this is thepreferred construction, as

t such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting, asthe invention may be variously embodied and is to be interpreted asclaimed.

I claim:

.l. A stepladder comprising a front section including front legs andtreads therebetween and a rear section including rear legs, said frontand rear sections being pivoted adjacent their upper ends; and afoldable spacing member having front and rear arms pivoted to the frontand rear sections and adapted to fold upwardly when the stepladder isclosed and to open downwardly into approximate alignment when thestepladder is opened, one of said arms having a series of spaced notchesand having a pivot pin, the other of said arms having an elongated slotslidably receiving the pivot pin and having its end bent at right anglesto form a locking lip adapted to enter one of said notches, said liphaving an upwardly extending slot to receive the notched arm andproviding a downwardly extending finger, said finger and its arm formingwith the pivot pin a brace effectto provide lateral rigidity.

2. A stepladder comprising a pair of front legs, treads joining saidlegs, a pair of rear legs pivotally joined adjacent their upper ends tothe front legs andhaving an upper transverse bracing member extendingfrom one rear leg to the other, an adjustable spacing member comprisinga front arm pivoted to one of said treads, a lower transverse bracingmember extending between said rearlegs, a rear arm pivoted to said lowerbracing member, one'of said arms having a locking lipand the other ofsaid arms having a plurality of notches formed in its upper edge adaptedto selectively receive the locking lip, and apivot pin carried by onearm and slidably mounted. within a slot formed in the other arm, saidarms being foldable upwardly when said stepladder is closed with theupper end of the folded arms located beneath a tread and positioned infront of the upper transverse bracing member with said upper transversebracing membercontacting' the upper portion of the folded arms, wherebysaid transverse bracing member and said last mentioned tread houses saidfolded arms and whereby said transverse bracing member prevents saidfolded arms from rocking rearwardly out of position,

. JOHN MEIER.

